Novartis is considering a sale of its dermatology generics drugs business as the company looks to focus on growth areas, says Bloomberg sources.
The Sandoz dermatology business assets for sale include skin-care treatments and some manufacturing facilities, mostly U.S.- based. Sources say the sale could be valued at between $1 billion to $1.5 billion.
Sandoz bought U.S.-based Fougera Pharmaceuticals for $1.5 billion in 2012, becoming the top seller of generic skin medications. Last year, it acquired the AmLactin skin-care brands from U.S.-based Upsher-Smith Labs.
Earlier this week, Novartis announced that it will buy Advanced Accelerator Applications -- a radiopharmaceutical company whose drugs are used to diagnose and treat diseases such as cancer -- for about $3.9 billion in cash.
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